Fabric tents are used by campers, hikers, hunters and others to provide portable shelter. The tents commonly include a collapsible rigid frame of aluminum or fiberglass poles, and a flexible fabric shell of nylon, canvas or the like, typically including one or more wall panels, a roof and a floor. Access to and from the interior of the tent is typically through a door opening through a wall panel, which can be selectively opened and closed, as by a zipper, snaps, tie cords, or other closure means.
One or more panels of open mesh material are sometimes included in the fabric shell to form windows and/or a screen door, allowing visibility through the tent walls, but preventing insects from entering the tent's interior. A rainfly or flap is often provided to cover the mesh panels, if desired, for privacy or to prevent rain or dust from entering the tent's interior.
In many instances, it becomes necessary for tent users to pass an item through the wall of a tent. For example, a person inside the tent may wish to pass a tool or other item to or from a person outside the tent. Or the tent user may wish to have an extension cord pass through the wall of the tent to provide power for a light, a fan, a radio, or other electrical appliance; and/or to have a hose extend through the wall of the tent to provide water drainage. Typically, the only portal through which to pass an item is the tent's door. But repeatedly opening and closing the door can be cumbersome and annoying, and can permit mosquitoes and other insects to enter into the tent's interior. Also, extending an extension cord or hose through the door creates an inconvenience and tripping hazard to persons entering and exiting the tent.
Thus it can be seen that needs exist for improvements to tents to provide a mechanism for passing an item through a tent wall without the need for opening and closing the tent door. It is to the provision of an improved tent meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.